I've been asked many times how to use raw honey as a face wash. Many of you may wonder why you would even consider raw honey in the first place. Raw honey is a universal beauty tonic for all skin types because of its potent yet gentle healing benefits for skin. Raw honey does wonders for acne, rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, sensitive, mature, and dull lifeless skin.

With so many beauty products on the market, we sometimes think that every product that we use must be extremely complicated and full of tons of ingredients. That notion is completely wrong. Although what we wash our face with doesn't stay on our skin that long, soap based products quickly strip the skin of its natural oils and create an imbalanced in the skin's pH which causes many skin problems and forces the skin to produce excess oil.

When you find people who have beautiful skin that claim to wash their face with only water, yes they do have good genetics, but they are also not creating any imbalance in the pH of their skin with harsh cleansers and toners. Maintaining a balanced pH in the skin consistently will allow the skin to do its job so much better. Products that dry, strip, then replenish the skin continue the cycle of skin distress. Less really is more.

Maintaining a healthy pH in your skin is an important anti-aging secret. The less the stress your skin endures from drying cleansers and toners, the more elastic it will remain over time. Any thing with a pH of 4.5-7 is usually considered pH balanced since water is a neutral pH of 7, yet skin thrives when using products with a pH of 4.5-5.5.

Raw honey has a natural pH of 4.5. The antiseptic and antimicrobial properties of honey make it wonderful for healing cuts and burns by killing bacteria and fungus. Raw honey also contains gluconic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid that is amazing at brightening the complexion, evening out the skin tone, and lightening scars and age spots.

Most honey contains iron, silica, copper, vitamin B, manganese, chlorine, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorous, aluminum and magnesium depending on where the honey is collected from. This rich mineral content makes it excellent for skin. Raw honey's intense moisturizing abilities with gentle cleansing agents makes it perfect for even very sensitive skin. When honey is mixed with water it released peroxide properties which helps heal fades and also prevent bacteria causing more acne.

Not all honey is created equal. Most of the honey found in grocery stores is "adulterated honey" meaning it literally has no nutrients. When honey is processed and refined with heat the live healing enzymes are killed. You are instead left with liquid sugar. Raw honey will give your skin the healing benefits that it needs and you will also experience the best results.

To use raw honey as a face wash simply add a quarter size amount of honey or more to wet hands and massage into your skin. Rinse your face, then tone and moisturize as usual. You can also leave honey on your skin for as long as you like as a honey mask, or combine it with other ingredients for more cleansing and brightening. My favorite ways to use raw honey is with rhassoul clay or as an exfoliating treatment with sugar and lemon juice. I've also used raw honey in place of vegetable glycerin in my DIY hair recipes. Raw honey has been used for centuries for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. There truly is such beauty in simplicity.

DawnMichelle is a writer, professional dancer, choreographer, jewelry designer, and pure lover of life and the planet. She has been a part of the entertainment industry for years, and worked in one of the largest beauty retailers as a consultant. DawnMichelle writes a lifestyle blog called Minimalist Beauty that incorporates organic beauty and cosmetics, eco-friendly fashion and extremely chic style, simple living, and pursuing creativity. She also has an Etsy shop called Azuha which has handmade fiber jewelry, earrings, natural cosmetics and more.

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Weigh in!:

Toccara
said...

I've been using raw honey as a face wash for the past week and I absolutely LOVE it! It makes your skin feel so clean and leaves you with the "glow from within" look

I use honey, organic but nor raw, as a face wash for a few months now and this change in my skin is very noticeable. Like Toccara said I look lit from within. People ask my about my skin all the time and are very surprised when I tell them that I wash with honey.

I am SO ready to try this! Just thought I'd let everyone know. hah! I am approaching the big 30, and I find that my skin is no longer resilient as it used to be. (NOOOOOOO! THE HORROR) so acne is coming easily. Not just the normal one or two (can even deal with three) every now and again... I'm talking BREAKOUT (que scary music)So I need to find something that will work but not be harsh to my skin. Some skin cleansers clear breakout only cause they completely strip your skin of everything else to. Not good. Then my skin is left so dry if I blink it might fall off. So I'm going to try a honey wash or honey mask for the next month and see what I end up with. Can't have my face falling off at 30. Not a good thing. LOL...

I use the Trader Joe raw honey with the raw can sugar for a scrub. My skin feels smooth after use and no pores! I'm 51 years old today and often mistaken for being in my late thirties early forties.MininF

I'm so glad that so many of you have already been benefiting from using raw honey as a face wash. I love it! A quick tip for breakouts is to rub a bit of honey on the blemish and leave it on overnight. This helps tremendously!For a simple toner aloe vera is great for blemishes skin and rose water is wonderful for dry skin.

okay so I saw your original post and ordered the herbs so Im waiting for them :) but I have been doing the lemon juice and raw honey (trader joes) I hope thats an ok mixture. Anyway, I took pics last night at an event and got them this am and could not believe how bright I looked! Not lighter just brighter totally "lit from within" Thanks so much for your expertise. You are one to follow! Best

Just for reference, the picture in the post is pasteurized honey not raw honey.

This is what raw honey looks like:http://thepurebar.com/files/2011/03/raw-honey.jpg

It's ALOT more solid at room temperature than golden honey and of course has most of the important nutrients intact. I've seen a few jars labeled RAW honey that look like golden honey which ain't right. Anyway, (Raw) Honey is getting pricey (RIP mass of mysteriously dead bees) but it's worth it to me.

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